Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildland Fire Hr Study topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill would direct state study of forestry and wildland fire classifications amid recruitment, retention challenges
Summary
Senate Bill 494 would require the Department of Administrative Services to study classification and compensation of forestry and wildland fire positions; Oregon Department of Forestry officials told the committee federal counterparts and recent contract wage changes make local retention and year‑round employment difficult.
Senator David Brock Smith told the committee that Senate Bill 494 directs the Department of Administrative Services to study classification and compensation of forestry and wildland fire positions, identifying wage and management compression issues and recommending fixes for the Legislature.
"This is a bill that helps start the process to fix a problem," Senator David Brock Smith said, describing the bill as a pathway for DAS to examine staffing and pay structures that make it difficult for firefighters to transition into year‑round fuels‑reduction work.
Kyle Williams, deputy director of fire operations at the Oregon Department of Forestry, told the committee the department struggles to retain firefighting staff because federal partners often can offer longer seasonal or near‑year‑round employment and, with recent federal contract wage increases, can outpace wages available to state and local fire crews. "Our federal counterparts tend to offer more permanent or at least 10 month opportunities... they've outpaced, wage wise, some of our folks," Williams said, explaining how the seasonal workforce seeks longer income opportunities.
Committee members expressed support for examining classification and compensation; no final action was taken at the Feb. 6 hearing. The bill would require DAS to report findings and recommendations to interim committees related to natural resources and wildfire by Sept. 15, 2026.
Ending: Sponsors and agency officials said the study is an initial, overdue step to address recruitment and retention and to build employment pathways that let firefighters move into fuels‑reduction and other persistent roles.
